Rotary scrubbing brushes employed with rotary scrubbing machines are used extensively for scrubbing, waxing, polishing, and shampooing various types of flooring. Both natural and synthetic fibers commonly are utilized in manufacturing the tufts of such brushes.
Typically, each type of fiber employed in the construction of brushes has certain shortcomings. For example, natural fibers can be adversely affected by certain cleaning chemicals which cause the fibers to rapidly deteriorate under constant use. Synthetic fibers, on the other hand, can resist the effects of cleaning fluids to a greater extent than some natural fibers. When used with a hot cleaning fluid, however, the synthetic bristles are softened and tend to flex significantly under even moderate pressure from a surface. Repeated flexing causes the bristles to fatigue, leading to premature bristle failure. Such bending of the bristles also reduces the scrubbing effectiveness of the brush.